United Kingdom (Great Britain) Elizabeth II 50 Pence

History

50 Pence 2022, Sp# H103, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, 70th Anniversary of the Accession of Elizabeth II to the Throne, Platinum Jubilee

Obverse. Photo © Royal Mint

Description

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 1926–2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and of 14 other Commonwealth realms. Her reign, which began on February 6, 1952, lasted for 70 years and seven months, making it the longest of any British monarch in history. At the age of 25, she became queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries after her father's death in February 1952. These countries were the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and she also served as Head of the Commonwealth.

Throughout her reign, Elizabeth acted as a constitutional monarch and oversaw significant political changes, such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the decolonization of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to and withdrawal from the European Communities. The number of her realms changed over time as territories gained independence and some became republics.

Elizabeth experienced many personal milestones during her reign, including the births and marriages of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was crowned in 1953, and her Silver, Golden, Diamond, and Platinum jubilees were celebrated in 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022, respectively.

Obverse	Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Horse Order, medal etc. Order of the Garter Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) Elizabeth II Depicts HM Queen Elizabeth II on horseback of her horse Winston, dressed in her uniform as Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards and as worn by Her Majesty during the ceremony of Trooping the Colour, advancing to left, surrounded by the inscriptions and the Order of the Garter. The motto HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE appears on a circular belt. Date below. The equine theme featured pays tribute to the remarkable 70 years the Queen has served the nation and Commonwealth, as well as her love for horses, and her participation in one particular annual event in which she appeared on horseback for many years. The Queen has, since her accession in 1952 and until 1987, taken the salute of Trooping of the Colour, the official birthday of the sovereign, which she did on horseback. As a keen horsewoman, Queen Elizabeth II could be seen riding Burmese (1962–1990), a black RCMP police service horse. She was given to Queen Elizabeth II by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1969 and took part in Trooping the Colour that same year and for 18 consecutive years until 1986. The Order of the Garter (formally the Most Noble Order of the Garter) is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III in 1348 and regarded as the most prestigious British order of chivalry in England and the United Kingdom. The star, which is worn pinned to the left breast, was introduced in the 17th century by King Charles I and is a colourfully enamelled depiction of the heraldic shield of St. George's Cross, encircled by the Garter, which is itself encircled by an eight-point silver badge. Each point is depicted as a cluster of rays, with the four points of the cardinal directions longer than the intermediate ones. Honi soit qui mal y pense is a French maxim used as the motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter. It is translated as "May he be shamed who thinks badly of it". ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSATRIX means Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith. Engraver: John Bergdahl · ELIZABETH II·D·G·REG·F·D·50 PENCE · JB · HONI · SOIT · QUI · MAL · Y · PENSE · 20 22
Reverse	British royal family Accession, abdication Crown, jewelry Saint Edward Monogram, signature Elizabeth II Depicts the number 70, the Royal cypher “EIIR”, and the years that span her reign thus far. Engraver: Company Osborne Ross Partners (AR for Andrew Ross and DO for Deborah Osborne) 70 EIIR 1952-2022 AR DO
Edge	Plain